


Stuff nightmares are made of

by sd1970x



Series: Fairy Musketeers / RWBY crossover [5]
Category: Otogi -Jushi Akazukin, RWBY
Genre: A bit of fluff thrown in, Action, Adventure, Crossover, Fandom Blind on the non-RWBY side, Gen, Mystery, Otogi Jushi Akazukin with all the dumb parts removed, Weiss gets salty, starting at V2 continuity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 14:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17685032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sd1970x/pseuds/sd1970x
Summary: Guarding a rock seemed like the most boring task possible.Except when it totally wasn't.(This crossover is fandom-blind on the non-RWBY side, which means you can read it without knowing a thing about the other franchise)





	Stuff nightmares are made of

**Author's Note:**

> So, uhh, Hello RWBY fans. *waves*  
> New author here, love the series, happy to get started writing.  
> my first piece is a fandom-blind crossover with a series that was supposed to play out similar to RWBY but it failed to deliver on this task.  
> a lot more of that on the end A/N.
> 
> This spoils Otogi Jushi Akazukin. Consider it a good thing, even though warnings are as due.  
> (And if by chance you’re here because you know of Fairy musketeers / Otogi-Jushi Akazukin, you should know exactly what it means. leave a comment, lmk you exist.)
> 
> also, as a new author I really really appreciate comments/crit, would love to hear from you!
> 
> Mad Hats to:  
> [Sgt_Chrysalis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sgt_Chrysalis)  
> [Bethylee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bethylee)  
> [DisorganizedKitten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisorganizedKitten)  
> Thanks for all the help!

“So, professor, where are we going exactly?” Ruby asked professor Ozpin as both paced quickly through the woods. The pine forest had lush overgrowth with a strong petrichor smell in the area. She could tell it was almost pristine, as if not ever visited by mankind or at least not long ago.

Ruby was quite curious when Ozpin called her to show her something and was cryptic as to what it was exactly. Keeping a student in the dark wasn’t a teaching method of his as far she knew, up until today that is, nor was taking them into previously uncharted areas.

“Just a bit more patience.”

“Can’t you tell me, professor? Pretty please?”

Professor Ozpin sighed.

“We found something of note in this area. Glynda is still researching its significance.”

“You didn’t even say what it is!” Ruby protested.

“Right now all I can say is we’ve never seen anything like it before.”

_ And… I guess that’s the only reply I’ll be getting for now. _

 

They finally reached a large, round clearing, just touching a large granite cliff, where she could finally see that thing Ozpin referred to. It looked like a set of carved glyphs, depressed into the stone. Eight large notches with various forms, four inscribed on the left and four inscribed on the right.

Ruby counted amongst them a gem, two necklaces of different sizes, a cross, a ring, a ball, a dagger and a scepter.

A carved top and somewhat sunken and polished area in the middle complemented the creation, forming an arch or a portal of sorts. 

 

“Ooh, this looks… weird. And the mix of glyphs is... just as weird!” Ruby quipped.

“ _ Weirdness _ is in the eye of the beholder, Miss Rose.”

Ruby passed her hand gently on the stone carvings. They felt cold and highly polished to the touch.

“Okay… So what’s it doing here? And what’s so special about it?”

“The only thing we do know is that it’s not supposed to be here and we know nothing about it. That, in turn, makes it  _ very _ special. So now-” Ozpin eyed her, an ever so slight smile on his face, “-we watch and wait. Team RWBY’s assignment is to stand guard here, in pairs.”

“Oh man! Are we really going to watch over a  _ rock _ ?! That is  _ so _ boring!”

“That  _ rock _ might prove to be more interesting than you take it for. Plan your shifts as needed.”

 

\---

 

“Okay… so, who wants to do the first shift with me? It will be… fun!” Ruby called into her scroll, not sounding too convincing about the last part.

“What’s so fun about guarding a rock?” Blake replied.

“Eh, Well… I gues-” 

“Let’s make it a camping trip!” Yang volunteered immediately.

“Yay! It will totally not be just guarding a rock anymore!”

“Is it at least an interesting rock? Did you take a picture of it?” Blake asked.

“I did, but don’t pass it around just yet. This is still a secret.”

Ruby transmitted the photo to her team’s scrolls. 

“Hmmm… this reminds me of something, actually.” Weiss said.

“What is it, Weiss?”

“It’s probably nothing. But I’ll be sure to test it soon enough.”

“Oh come on Weiss… I had enough secrets for the day!”

_ Like that Ice queen is going to share it. Argh! _

 

\---

 

The idea of a campout with Ruby was a fond one for Yang, she quickly packed some stuff and took off to the trail leading towards the clearing.

“Hello Sis! Welcome to the RWBY campgrounds!”

Yang examined the tidy setup Ruby arranged. Sleeping bags, a small supply tent, well placed sitting logs around the campfire.

“This doesn’t even look so makeshift anymore…” Yang appreciated the work done.

“Yeah… I had some time to spare while setting this one up… something tells me I’ll have a lot of that soon.”

Ruby’s lack of thrill was clear from her tone.

“So, has there been anything interesting happening?”

“Actually yeah. I’ve seen some beowolves approach this rock thing. They looked like they were sniffing it or something.”

“If they are interested in it, it may explain why the old man would care about a piece of rock”

All in all though and for the time being, with Yang around, Ruby did feel it was more like a campout than a real mission.

Yang casually opened a can of tuna. “So, that’s our food for the week, huh?”

“Yup, Instant soup, canned food, campfire baked potatoes, aaand… a surprise for dessert!”

Ruby found out the food wasn’t half bad. Sure, not as tasty as a properly cooked meal at the academy, but having its own special outdoors feel to it. Then again, it was time for the highlight. Ruby pulled out a pack of marshmallows with a gleam in her eyes.

“Surprise!”

They began skewering and roasting the marshmallows, much to Ruby’s delight.

“Mmm… this tastes great!”

Yang chuckled at her sister’s sweet tooth.

“Even in the middle of nowhere, can’t do without sweets huh.”

“Yup!” Ruby nodded as she stuffed two more in her mouth. 

“So, little sis, you know this is the time we have a heart to heart talk or something. That’s how it works in movies, right?”

Ruby swallowed down her mouthful and turned to Yang.

“Yeah… I’m actually good with this kind of a short break. Even though I’m still amped about beacon-” She made some mock fist-punch moves in the air. “-and not so much about this assignment.”

“I can see… but it’s our first real assignment isn’t it?” Yang tried to uplift her spirit a bit.

“Well, I didn’t think the ‘bee’s knees’ meant watching a  _ rock _ in the middle of nowhere…”

“Silly,” Yang laughed. “The professor chose our team for this! There  _ must _ be more to it.”

“I… I don’t know. You think? I hate knowing so little! Do you think he’s hiding something from us?”

“Ozpin?” Yang wrinkled her nose. “Why would he do that? That makes no sense.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m gonna read some more and then go to bed.”

Yang smiled as Ruby stifled a yawn then lay over her sleeping bag, eyes on her book and legs folded.

“Sleep tight, baby sister.”

Yang threw in some more wood to the fire and pulled out a camping coffee pot from her bag.

“Oh, that’s so cool, Yang.” Ruby called, not taking her eyes off the book more than necessary to see just what it was that Yang was holding.

“Cool? more like life-saving necessity. Don’t ever go camping without it and certainly not to any guard duty.” 

“Mmm… this smells real good.” Yang said as she opened up a small sachet of finely ground coffee. “Cowboy style. That’s how the Pros do it.”

“Does it really matter that much, Yang?”

“Oh please tell me you didn’t just say that.” 

“Yang, what are you doing?” Ruby moaned as Yang yanked her out of her sleeping bag. “Stop it!”

“Sis, This will pay off more than half the classes at Beacon. Trust me.”

Yang firmly placed Ruby to a sitting position on one of the logs next to the campfire.

“You should be thankful you have a big sister to teach you some of the important things at life.” She huffed.

Ruby tried her best not to doze off.

_ Okay… keep your face up, eyes straight...  _

“... And that’s how you make the  _ perfect _ cowboy coffee, don’t ever settle for less. You hear me?”

“Uh, what?” Ruby quickly glanced at her scroll.

_ Fifteen minutes? I think I missed that entire lesson... _

Ruby rubbed her eyes as she finally stopped dozing.

“Oh. Umm, yeah. Thanks! I won’t forget it.”

“Anything for my little baby sister. Sleep tight!” Yang said as she drew another sip of her coffee, savouring the taste.

“Yep, It’s strong and perfect for a night shift of...  doing nothing but staring at a  _ rock _ .”

 

\---

 

“It’s been two days and nothing is happening! Oh, I  _ so _ hate this assignment!” Ruby moaned to  Weiss, her current shift partner.

Ruby glanced at their supply tent, now full of various things Weiss brought over.

_ Yeah, I should have expected her to bring tons of stuff with her. _

She played with the embers of yesterday’s fire with a stick.

Weiss just gave a mysterious smile in return, which Ruby didn’t welcome as much.

“Come on, It’s not funny, Weiss. I spent hours studying that thing! If there’s more to it, it had better happen soon.”

“Don’t look at me, Ruby. It wasn’t  _ my  _ idea to guard a rock in the middle of the woods _. _ But…”

“But?”

“I brought something with me.” Weiss said, not without a hint of pride in her voice.

“You brought a lot of somethings with you.” Ruby countered.

“Ha-ha. Very funny. Well, if you’re so intimately familiar with that rock now, what do you say to  _ this _ ?”

Weiss pulled out of her bag what appeared to be a very smooth stone gem, cut to the form of a perfect classical emerald, with a very faint cyan glow. Ruby examined it with astonishment, poring over it from side to side.

“We found this long ago on Atlas. We had no idea what purpose it served, so we just kept it. But I think we may have found out what it is.”

“Ooh, It does look very similar to the carving. It should fit right in the gem socket!”

“That was my thought, I'm glad to see you concur. So, Ruby, do you dare to try to piece the two together?”

“Umm...”

“What happened to ‘something better happen soon’ all of a sudden? After all, what could possibly go wrong?”

They both looked at the carvings. The gem carving was the bottom right one.

“O-Okay…”

As they neared the thing, a low sound of rumbling began, growing somewhat stronger as they were standing a mere few meters from it, but still no more than a simple discomfort.

“I’m… uhh… what’s with that sound? Weiss, are you  _ sure _ about this?”

“If you are not putting it in, then I will do it. Surely a piece from Atlas can give that  _ thing _ a much needed upgrade.”

Weiss approached the carving, walking slowly and cautiously, as she pushed the gem into its place. The perfect fit was unmistakable.

“See? Nothing bad is happening, it just looks better now.” Weiss turned her back to the rock, rubbing her hands in content and looking at Ruby who in turned sighed in relief.

“Guess you’re right. Which is disappointing, in a way.”

“Well, maybe we need the rest of the items? There are seven more nooks to fill.”

They both turned and started to walk away, but the sound of electricity made Ruby turn her head backwards and she immediately stopped.

“Uhh… Weiss, it’s… something  _ is  _ happening...”

Small sparks of energy appeared inside the middle of the carving as the entire thing shone in unnatural blue. The low sound of rumbling now replaced with thunderous booming sounds.

“It’s opening up… or about to explode! No no no… we spoke too soon!”

Ruby’s eyes quickly scanned the clearing for a place to take cover, her hands shaking as she clung to Crescent Rose and gripped it tight.

“Ruby, let’s make a run for it!”

Feeling a bit more safe at the edge of the clearing, they panted and watched as half a dozen more beowolves and three boarbatusks approached the carving. Either unaware or uncaring about them both.

“It’s time we report this back to the Professor.” Ruby said and Weiss nodded.

Ruby picked up her scroll and made the call. “Professor, we… uhh… we activated that ‘thing’, I think. If you wanted to-”

“You did  **what** now? Miss Rose, certainly you shouldn’t have… oh nevermind that now. Glynda, these kids activated the  _ nightmare gate _ .”

“N-n-nightmare gate?” Ruby stuttered. 

“Ruby, what did you just call that thing?” Weiss asked, overhearing her conversation with Ozpin just as it ended.

“Ummm… Nightmare… gate?”

“Oh. Interesting.” Weiss deadpanned. “Didn’t you think this information could have been useful, I don’t know, say, like  _ five minutes ago _ ?”

“Hey!” Ruby protested. “That’s the first time Professor Ozpin called it that!  _ I didn’t know _ !”

The tang of electricity in the air and the accompanying buzzing sound cut their argument short.   
Ruby and Weiss tried their best not to blink while keeping watch, weapons ready. They were hardly surprised when Professor Ozpin arrived rather swiftly.

“And that, children, is one of the cases where landing strategy is important.” He said as the craft above headed back to Beacon after dropping him from above. 

“A heads up would have been useful.” Professor Ozpin chided the two, to be met by a sheepish “Sorry...” from Ruby.

“This gate connects worlds afflicted by nightmares. Remnant qualifies on behalf of our Grimm.” Ozpin said, answering the question before it was asked.

“So, we’re expecting another world’s nightmares to come out of it?” Weiss asked.

“We don’t know what to expect, yet. But that is quite reasonable.” Ozpin answered.

“Well… it's been several minutes, and that thing is still not doing much, perhaps nothing would co-”

The sound of stones cracking and lightning sparks contradicted Ruby’s planned ending of the sentence. The span between the carvings opened, four figures being shot out of it, ending up as a small pile on the ground.

The first to rise and dust herself off was a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl wearing a three-tone design. A red helmet matched her red cape and red boots, Navy blue tank top and shorts, details of yellow across her boots, helmet and along the top of her gaiters. Boldly presented was a big four-leaf clover clasp which adorned the middle of her tank top.

That girl lent her hand to one of her fellows, a bespectacled, silver-haired girl with pale blue eyes. That one wore a cream bow with the same four-clover brooch, and a bright blue and white dress with seven small packs strapped to it.

The third one rose all by herself and seemed to be the oddest one of all. She had a long pink hair and wore a maid’s bow adorned by a large flower covering the back of her head, overly puffed green and white pants, occupying the volume and almost the form of a dress. Her ears appeared animal, large and going sideways. Red clown-like boots, a green vine-like whip with a flower at its end and a clover-patterned shield completed the look.

And then there was the dog, almost as big as a wolf, blue and white fur to it.

“Well, they don’t look like nightmares.” Weiss quipped. “Fashion disasters, yes, but not quite nightmares.”

The plethora of Grimm creatures eyed the new arrivals. It wasn’t too hard to guess their intent, which made Ruby less than happy about it.

“Professor! We have to do something! They’ll get creamed by all those Grimm!”

“My dear,” Ozpin said as he fixed his glasses. “Have you noticed their standing and movements?”

Ruby took a second look. Everything about how they stood, how their muscles were taut for action, hinted that they’re ready to fight. And yet none held to any weapons, aside from the vine whip.

“They all bear the same four leaf clover pattern. It’s either a warrior insignia or they just bought their clothes from the same store. For their sake, it had better not be the latter.” Weiss added.

Ruby nodded, feeling slightly ashamed of not being astute enough to pick up these hints.

“You two, keep your weapons loaded and ready, but don’t engage just yet.” Ozpin’s issued the command and both complied; Ruby setting Crescent rose to sniper rifle mode and taking a sniping position, just as Weiss primed Myrtenaster, selecting an ice dust cartridge.

“Remnant’s already giving them a less than warm welcome, I hope they know it’s a cold world out there.”

 

\---

 

“Ow! Get off me!”

The red-clad girl rose up and looked around the clearing. Something about the flora and the feel in the air gave the conclusion away. That and the unfamiliar creatures who were eyeing them with less than hospitable intent.

“Gang, I don’t think we’re in Fandvale or Elde anymore.” the red-clad girl called.

“Riiight… These do look similar to Nightmarians though. Ibara?” the silver-haired girl replied as she watched the Grimm creatures surrounding them.

“I’m ready for them.” The pink-haired girl stifled a yawn. “My powers will work in this forest.”

“What about you, Shirayuki?” the red-clad girl turned to the silver-haired one again.

Shirayuki grinned. “Akazukin, puh-lease. Nightmarians by any other name? My body… is ready.”

“Shirayuki, your abuse of memes is  _ legendary _ .” Akazukin protested.

“Guilty as charged.” she bowed slightly.

“Speaking of charging… these things are coming for us!”

Three of the beowolves readied themselves to jump at the three girls and their wolf.

“Val, let’s go!  _ Grimm tailor! _ ” she cried, as a huge pair of scissors appeared in her hands. It quickly split into two swords with red guards, which she set in a crossed form to block the Grimm's charge. She could feel his breath at her, hearing his yelp as Val gave it a strong bite at the leg and it disengaged. The beowolf jumping at Shirayuki found itself smacked midair with a shining energy hoop which also appeared as if out of nowhere in her hands, being flung a good few meters away. The third one charging at Ibara fared the worst of all. A punch by her shield was quickly followed by wrapping her whip around it, tossing it aside and slamming it at a nearby tree at the clearing’s edge.

Shirayuki paused for a moment as she noticed a tear on her dress and her eyes burned with rage.

“That thing... it cut my dress! It is  **so** going down!”

A magical summoning circle appeared on the ground and immediately a large ice golem emerged from it, twice as large as a beowolf. Red-eyed and furious, he immediately smacked the nearby boarbatusk, encrusting it with ice in every blow. It quickly burst into shards, nothing remaining of it.

“That should teach them a lesson! Hmpf!” Shirayuki cried, glancing at her dress again.

One of the beowolves tossed aside rebounded quickly, only to be joined by more of their friends. They circled the group like a pack, then two broke forwards and dashed again, jumping in the air. 

“Zuu…. kyun!” Akazukin cried, her sword flaring up with flame as she pierced the beowolf’s underbelly, causing it to whisk into black smoke and then to nothingness.

“Ibara, watch out!” Shirayuki called to the pink-haired girl.

Ibara pulled a spell card out of her pocket and vines rose from the ground, impaling the one attacking her in mid air. This didn’t deter the rest of the pack from attacking more relentlessly, this time trying for a low charge at Shirayuki and her ice golem. A quick kick from the golem and a side-punch with the hoop quickly deflected these attacks as well.

 

\---

 

“These girls are good!” Ruby marvelled at their skills.

“Eh, I can totally summon these things too.” Weiss frowned, glancing downwards at her sword.

“Anyway, this 'nightmare gate’ still didn’t spit out any actual nightmares.”

 

The gate behind them roared again and everyone stopped. A dozen creatures emerged from the portal, their similarity to Grimm rather striking. They all looked like gigantic versions of normal animals, with skeletal heads and a string-patched void in the middle of their bodies, tatters of skin patches tied to a ring around the void. Three spider-like, three bat-like, three wolf-like and three boar-like. A waft of putrid air reached Ruby and Weiss’s nostrils, smelling of rotten flesh. As if to complement the scene, half a dozen more beowolves came about to join the fray.

 

“Aaand I guess we spoke too soon.” Ruby said.

“On the bright side, we can now run an ugliness competition… eww.” Weiss quipped.

 

\---

 

“Uhh… we might have a problem here… Nightmarians incoming!” Akazukin cried as she acknowledged the new company the portal just spewed at them.

“We still outnumber them, four to twenty or so.” Shirayuki deadpanned back at her. “It’s time for the gloves to come off.”

“Shining Edge!” Akazukin called, a stream of fireballs shooting from her hands, toasting two of the Nightmarians, their remains turning to glitter and scattering in the wind. Shirayuki’s hoop expanded in a defensive circle around them, while shooting spikes of ice towards the Nighmarians, a few of them whisked away into thin glitter after dozens of spikes pierced them. Ibara complemented the attack by raising her vine whip, a volley of dagger-sized thorns impaling more of the beowolves.

“Comet ladle!” Akazukin called it, and immediately her two swords disappeared, to be replaced by a staff-sized red stick, with what appears to be a bowl at its tip. She spun it quickly to deflect a beowolf jumping at her, forcing him to jump back. The more she spun it, the more its bowl seemed to charge with energy, which she finally released as a fireball towards that beowolf and the remaining Nightmarians nearby, reducing them all to smoke and glitter respectively.

“Val!” Shirayuki cried, but she was a moment too late. A sneak head-butt from the last remaining beowolf threw Akazukin aside, her guard down after her last attack. While Val gave the thing a decent bite in its neck, it was a moment too late. The beowolf was gone now, but Akazukin found herself on the ground in a disadvantaged reclined position facing the last remaining boarbatusk.

“Sleipnir!” she called, as her trusty crossbow appeared in her hands, shooting a blue ball of energy as the thing rolled midair, charging at her.   
“Did I… did I get it? It looks like the shot just went through!” She looked at her teammates, puzzled. The boarbatusk was nothing more than black smoke by now.

“Who cares, we’re done now!” Shirayuki proclaimed, and they all motioned for a fistbump.

“San-”

“Juu-”

“Shi-”

A loud snap sound alerted them to the presence of onlookers, but this also made them understand just why Akazukin’s last shot missed the boarbatusk.

_ It appears we have more company, seemingly of the helpful sort. _

 

\---

 

Ruby still held to her weapon, but felt a bit more free to exchange a few words now, given how they seemed to manage themselves.

“You were saying something about ranged attacks, Weiss?”

“Okay. I’ll hand them that one, too. But why would they have to call out their attacks?”

“I think it's time to make ourselves known. We’ve seen enough. Take that boarbatusk down”. Ruby immediately delivered a carefully aimed sniper shot to its eye and it turned into black smoke, its remains drifting away in the wind. Only then she saw that Akazukin was about to shoot it with her own weapon.

With that, it seemed like the newcomer party finally noticed them. After they fist-bumped to their victory, they began to slowly approach Ruby and the rest, meeting them halfway through the clearing.

 

Ozpin cleared his throat.

“Hello there, travelers from the portal. I’m sorry that the world of Remnant had to greet you like this.” Ozpin hailed the newcomers.

Ruby, however, had other things in mind as she came near Akazukin, going into rapid speech mode.

“The red really suits you. Ooh and your Cape! And did you make your weapons? I counted  _ three _ of them! The swords, the staff thingy, the-”

Ruby started counting with her fingers as Weiss elbowed her, stopping her short.

“Please let the girl talk… this time your bad manners are embarrassing all of Remnant!” She muttered.

Akazukin turned extremely cheerful, in stark contrast to her feisty looks as she fought mere moments ago.

“No that’s totally fine! I better introduce us. I’m Akazukin, or ‘red riding hood’ when translated.”   
Next she pointed towards the silver-haired girl.

“This is Shirayuki, roughly translated as ‘snow white’.”

Shirayuki gently bowed as she held two tips of her dress. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Your command of ice is... impressive, true to your name.” Weiss seemed pleased at the Girl’s manners. 

“I was always top of my class.” Shirayuki responded.

“Top of your class you say… hmm… it seems like we have a lot to talk about.” Weiss smiled.

“And the third of us is Ibara, or ‘sleeping beauty’ translated. She’s always tired.”

Ibara stifled a yawn, as if to emphasize the point.

“Pleased to… meet.” Ibara managed, then yawned again.

“And together, we’re the three fairy musketeers!”

Ruby then switched her attention towards Val.

“Your dog! Akazukin… it’s… it’s…  **so cute!** ” Ruby squeed as she petted the dog fervently.

“Umm, Ruby… wait!”

It was too late. Val’s eyes widened as he rose on his rear legs, grabbing her collar with his paw.

“Don’t treat a wolf’s ears like a toy! They are very sensitive and they serve me in combat!”

The two stared at each other for a moment, dumbfounded, until Val broke the silence again.

“Hi.”

“He… is… awesome!”

“It’s impolite to speak about someone using third-person pronouns.” Val grumbled.

“Sorry… so, it’s Val then?”

Val nodded, then coughed as he examined a gash left by one of the beowolves.

“Val, you’re hurt!” Akazukin called. “Can we get him some treatment?”

“Yes, back at the academy.” Ozpin assured her. “We just need to decide what to do with the gate.”

“We can just remove the gem and go home, I think our assignment is done.” Ruby said.

“Yeah, we have enough nightmares of our own than to import them from another realm.” Weiss concurred. 

The portal flared up again, just as Weiss spoke.

“It’s… uhh… either agreeing or protesting.” Ruby noted.

In a moment, a female figure accompanied by five more of the nightmarians emerged through the gate. She had long black hair and wore a two-tone purple and dark grey design matching her purple eyes. Her image seemed foreboding to look at, enhanced by her nightmarian cohort.

 

“Oh no. This is not good. It’s Cendrillion, our arch-enemy!” Akazukin cried.

Three Ursas came out of the forest, looking upwards at a now-hovering Cendrillion. They gently sniffed their nightmarian compatriots and Cendrillion, then bowed their heads.

“They seem to like her already.” Ozpin noted.

Cendrillion surveyed her surroundings and the Ursas.

“So. Remnant. A world of legends. The world of four maidens, is it? I see. ”

Ruby watched Ozpin pale ever so slightly at the sound of these words, but even that was enough to concern her.

“Professor… is everything okay?”

“Shoot that gem out. Do it now!” He blurted hastily.

A carefully aimed sniper shot knocked the stone gem out of its position. In an instant, the gate powered itself down, reverting to its inert stone state.

“Ruby, go and reclaim that gem, now!”

Ruby accelerated herself to grab the gem, brushing past Cendrillion. To her surprise, the gem was left unscathed by her shot, as if totally immune to it, still bearing that perfect form and feint cyan glow.

Cendrillion did not seem bothered by the gem or this interruption. Her cohort watched as a mid-sized Nevermore came and collected them all. She gently patted its back as it metamorphosed. Tatters of hard skin materialized over its body and torn feathers over its wings. Its head was enveloped by a thicker skull while its eyes shone in crimson, now appearing almost living, opposed to the shiny beads that were Grimm eyes. It gave a menacing cry towards the hunter party.

“Now, now.” her patting continued. “You will have a good chance to test your improved skills soon enough.” Cendrillion calmed her newly-acquired steed. “We’ll get you some more friends too.”

The nevermore acquiesced, soaring high above and leaving the area with its passengers. 

“This can’t be good, right?” Akazukin asked and professor Ozpin nodded.

“Indeed. Come, we have a lot to talk about. I believe this challenge is going to be  _ legendary _ . We’ll talk more when we’ve reached the academy back.”

“Maybe it was better if that thing was no more than just a stone.” Ruby joked.

“But then you wouldn’t have had the chance to make new friends!” Akazukin smiled at her.

_ I think I like this girl already. _

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, Since all RWBY characters are fairy-tale expies, crossing it over with another franchise that used the same source of inspiration seemed to have some interesting merit. one red riding hood meeting the other, one snow queen meeting the other, and so forth.  
> Now, the original premise of otogi jushi akazukin seemed promising at first, surprisingly RWBY-like. kick-ass red riding hood, a fire mage armed with two swords? snow white as a top-notch ice mage? sleeping beauty as a nature mage? sign me up! animals turned to creatures of nightmare? oh yeah!
> 
> alas, it wasn’t meant to be like that. this show got kiddified to the extreme (don’t watch it, really. *ugh* sweet phone *barf*), nerfing the whole thing down. we had to wait 8 more years until the glorious bloodbath that is RWBY.
> 
> but! fics are as fics do. we can finally get to see Akazukin and friends show their mad skillz on remnant. (Do we want a Ruby/Akazukin duel? Shirayuki vs Weiss? Faunus vs Elf?)
> 
> I can take it further into few directions:
> 
> * pile up more franchises via the nightmare gate, making it a mega crossover.  
> * explore how the new team affects the remnant timeline. i.e. try to cast this upon the V3-V6 progression.  
> * totally new plot, focusing on new interactions between the franchises, including maybe throwing in some shipping.
> 
> Let's try and have some fun with it! Yay!  
> Waiting to hear your preferences in your comments.


End file.
